Drill weekend!

Before any of our deployments, drill weekends weren't so bad.  It was a girl's weekend for us.
 A chance to do things with the girls, things hubby most likely didn't want to do i.e. yard sales, craft stores, shopping. We would do our things and them meet up with hubby!

But that all changed when the words deployment came up. Drill weekends became training weekends for my hubby which required being gone out of town and sometimes adding more days to the 'weekend'. Which to me they became tense, lonely, sad, mind numbing, and overwhelming thinking about what was about to happened.  Even frightening in a way.  I dreaded everyone of them. The longer they lasted the more deeper the feeling. The more I realized I was not ready nor would I ever be ready for this.  A small taste of what it would be like for when he was deployed. They left me anxious and tense. I felt broken, discouraged, and weary.

So when deployment #1 ended and drill weekends did not return to the easier days, I was shocked. They were still long and uncertain. Hard to get through. Then we found out why deployment #2 was looming in our near future.

Deployment  #2 came and went, drill weekends changed for us again...I was preparing for more of the same hardness, same fears but that is not what God has in-stored for me now. They are easier and harder in some ways. Harder in that they started soon after his return, they are longer than the typical weekend drill and much more intense for him.

But as they continues now drill weekends are slowly losing the hardest of them. The fear of him leaving is being replaced with him being home for awhile! The tense feeling of overwhelming burdens is being replaced with relaxing in prayer and trusting God has everything under control. They are still hard at times but not paralyzing with fear, loneliness, and dread for the future.

I approach drill weekends a little differently now than pre-deployments, more prayer time for my hubby, more preparations for the weekend for the girls and myself, and more time to relax for me. I made a decision to read more on these weekends searching God's Word for verses to pray over my hubby and our family. I made a decision to trust God and let the hardness go and start to heal.  And now I can see some of the old fun of girl time is returning and new joys are being added each weekend ...and I thank my God each drill weekend for that.

Drill weekends are never going to be easy! But I am so Thankful to God they are easier now!


Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice. Psalm 51:8 


Prayers for David

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7